The City of Knoxville recently added six new propane-powered mowers to its fleet. With the nine purchased last year, that means that 45 percent of the City’s mowers now operate on cleaner energy.

The use of propane mowers can improve mowing efficiency anywhere from 20 and 50 percent, according to nationwide case studies.

City crews use industrial mowers to cut grass on 400 acres of parks regularly and 1,947 overgrown lots annually.

“When you consider the large volume of grass the City mows annually, a slight tweak in our equipment can significantly decrease mowing time and costs, ultimately improving City services,” said Keith Shields, Director of Fleet Services for the City.

The new Ferris model F320Z mowers were purchased this month for $9,580 each from local Mayo Garden Center through the City’s equipment replacement funds.

“We’ve definitely noticed that the motors stay a lot cleaner,” said Mark Wagner, Horticulture Manager in the City’s Public Service Department. “That means they’ll continue to run more smoothly and they’ll hold their value when the City sells them off for replacements at the end of their cycle.”

In addition to dollars saved, Shields says the mowers will help to reduce the City’s carbon footprint.

At the State of the City earlier this year, Mayor Madeline Rogero announced that Knoxville is on schedule to meet the goal of reducing carbon emissions of City operations by 20 percent by 2020. The City’s fleet emissions in particular are down over 10 percent since 2005.

“As we replace older vehicles and machines in our fleet, we will continue to seek environmentally responsible options that help us to improve City services,” Shields said.